Mazda Motor Corporation today announced our commitment to making Mazda factories globally to be carbon neutral by 2035, keeping an eye on our goal of making our whole supply chain carbon neutral by 2050.
Mazda sees it as the core responsibility of any automotive manufacturer to do their part in curbing global warming by reducing CO2 emissions in every process of vehicle production, including manufacturing, transport, vehicle usage, recycling, etc. Consequently, Mazda has been actively engaged to be carbon neutral.
David Hodge, Managing Director Mazda New Zealand says this announcement by Mazda Corporation is further evidence of the company’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions and help protect the environment.
“In NZ, Mazda is involved in several initiatives that support the global goals of the company. We are the lead funder of the Trees that Count programme. To date we have been responsible for funding the planting of more than 125,000 trees across New Zealand. Planting native trees is one of the most powerful actions we can take to combat climate change, protect our beautiful landscapes, waterways and forests for future generations.
“The Mazda NZ Treemendous Education Programme promotes teaching Kiwi kids on the importance of looking after the environment and providing practical examples to highlight how they can help to enhance and protect it.
The Mazda Foundation has been giving back to the community by supporting individuals and organisations with assistance for a wide range of environmental projects across Aotearoa since 2005”.
To achieve carbon neutrality in Mazda factories around the globe by 2035, Mazda Corporation plans to work closely with our partners and proceed via three pillars:
- Energy conservation
- Shift to renewable energies
- Introduction of carbon neutral fuels for in-house transportation
The first pillar focuses on energy conservation efforts during the vehicle manufacturing processes, which emit large amounts of CO 2. These include reduction of thermal energy through the development of low temperature curing paints and improvement of energy conversion efficiency by optimizing processing technology.
Regarding the second pillar, i.e., shifting to renewable energy, Mazda recognizes the importance of not only making steps toward the company’s carbon neutrality, but also that of contributing to the growth of the local economy. Therefore, we will participate proactively in efforts of the Carbon Neutral Electricity Promotion Subcommittee, which aims to expand the supply and demand of carbon neutral electricity throughout the Chugoku region. We are also considering various forms of decarbonization, such as low/carbon-free power generation in our plants and procurement of electricity from renewable energy suppliers.
For introduction of carbon neutral fuels, the third pillar of our initiatives, efforts include Mazda working toward using carbon neutral fuel for in-house transportation in cooperation with the Hiroshima Council for Automotive Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration which is promoting the practical use of next-generation biofuels.
Furthermore, we will capitalize on these initiatives conducted in Japan and use them as a basis to implement the optimal approach for each facility outside Japan.
Through these efforts, Mazda will continue to make steady steps toward the greater challenge of making our whole supply chain carbon neutral by 2050 and our endeavor to help create a future where we can coexist with our beautiful planet in harmony and forever.
